Little steps
by Annalisa Yoru
Summary: One shot sequel to I Do. They do say a baby changes everything.


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She groaned against the sink. It was the seventh day in a row that she had woken up and puked her guts out.

"Luce?"

Lucy looked at her husband, who was still groggy with sleep, stumble into their master bath to see what was the matter.

"Still feeling sick?" He asked and pulled back her hair as she rinsed out her mouth.

Lucy nodded and brushed her teeth for a third time to make sure her breath didn't smell like bile. "You might have to go on the mission without me."

Natsu sighed and pulled her to his chest. They had been married for little over half a year and there was hardly a moment when they were apart.

"Ok, I'll miss you like crazy and probably drive Erza and Gray insane, but ok." He sighed.

She looked up at him. "You aren't going to ask Happy to go with?"

He gave her a look of mock hurt. "You think I'd leave my ill wife alone? I'm so hurt."

She giggled and kissed his chin, his response was a low-pleased growl. "Be safe?"

"Will do," He bent to kiss her but instead of catching her lips or cheek he met air. His wife was once again retching over the toilet. He sighed and pulled back her hair once more while rubbing her back with his free hand. "Maybe you should go see Wendy or the old hag."

In between coughs she nodded.

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Lucy waved goodbye to her teammates and husband. The mission was a small escort mission that took them to the next town, so she wouldn't be left alone in her condition for long. Three days at most.

She sighed and went back inside the guild to go see Wendy. It had taken Natsu hours to convince her that the scent of what she had wasn't contagious. At the time she was too tired to argue with her husband and he carried her to the guild before going with their teammates on the mission.

Wendy smiled at Lucy when she looked up from a medical book. "Lucy! You're feeling better."

"Not really…" Lucy sighed and sat down across from the air mage.

Wendy frowned. "Natsu said you were really sick though…"

"He carried me here." Lucy explained. "Whatever I caught is lasting longer than normal stomach flus I've had before and from what Natsu's nose is telling us, it isn't contagious."

Wendy nodded and rolled up her sleeves and took one of the woman's hands in both of hers.

The girl was quiet for several minutes before looking something over in the book she had.

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"Aunty Lu!"

Lucy jumped slightly when her Nephew Drake ran over to hug her. His red eyes smiled just as wide as his lips.

"Hey," She smiled and saw Levy running to catch up to her hyper active son. She gave her friend a knowing look. "He got into Mira's candy stash didn't he?"

Levy nodded while panting. "Haven't seen you for a while." The bluenette sat down while she caught her breath. Just as she did her son went bouncing over to someone else in the guild.

"Natsu's been over reacting a little bit with whatever I caught. He brought me over here to see Wendy before he went to go on a mission." Lucy sighed and helped her friend keep an eye on the hyper bluenette boy.

"I heard about that, you started getting sick on a mission?" Levy glanced toward her friend.

Lucy nodded and giggled. "You should have seen us on the train back. Both of us were a little green."

Levy giggled. "That would have been a sight to see… Drake!" Levy scowled when she saw her son try to sneak out the doors, but thanks to Makarov's quick arm and eye he caught the boy and dropped him in his mother's lap. "Thank you!"

"Gray couldn't stop laughing until Erza slapped him." Lucy smiled.

Wendy tapped her chin. "Lucy, you aren't sick."

Lucy looked at the girl in disbelief. "Eh?"

"Cana, can you come over here and double check something for me with your cards?" Wendy called to the woman who was two tables down.

Cana smiled and nodded; as soon as she was at the girl's table she worked her fortune telling magic. When the last card was flipped the woman gasped before smiling widely at her friend.

"Congrats Lucy," Cana moved around the table to hug the blond.

"Uh… on what?" Lucy gapped.

Wendy smiled, "You're pregnant." She announced.

Lucy could barely hear her friends' squeal. 'Baby?' She looked at her toned abdomen in silent shock.

"Took him long enough."

"Gajeel!" Levy smacked her boyfriend when he joined them at the table.

Gajeel sighed, "What? Ain't my fault all Fairy Tail seems to have a baby boom."

'Yeah but you and Levy were the first to start it.' Everyone who heard the iron mage thought.

Levy frowned and passed Drake to his father, "Mhmm, now who was the first couple to announce the good news?" The iron mage blanched and she nodded. "Thought so."

Lucy smiled wide and laughed with her friends.

'I could get used to this idea…'

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Natsu flinched when he came home from the mission. The house had the windows and doors open to let in the spring time air, but the smell of bile was still thick.

"Luce?" He called and dumped his pack next to the door before searching for his wife. The first place he looked, the bathroom, was the first place he found her. She smiled up at him after she rinsed out her mouth.

He hugged her and kissed her cheek in greeting. "Are you feeling better?"

She hummed and snuggled against his chest. "A little…"

He took a whiff of the air. "Doesn't smell like it." He stated before following her into their bedroom.

"That's because I'm not sick," Lucy explained and dug around for one of her favorite outfits.

Natsu stared at her blankly as he tried to decode what his wife was saying. "I'm drawing a blank Luce…"

"You do have nine months to figure it out," She gave him a grin, "Papa."

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He stood in shock, his nose worked over time to see if he could smell the extra scent on Lucy. When he did he ran to her and kissed her. He grinned and spun her around while whooping.

"Shh, you're going to wake Happy and the neighbors." Lucy scolded while giggling.

"Like I haven't been loud enough to wake them in the past," Natsu grinned and kissed her again. "How many know?"

"You, Happy, Levy, Gajeel, Wendy, and Cana." Lucy counted off.

He grinned. "Let's give gramps a special wake up message." He suggested then rushed to the guild. Lucy laughed at her husband, letting him go on ahead.

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"C'mon, Cana," Natsu complained. He gestured to his pregnant wife who was starting to show.

Cana looked up from her drink. "You were the one who said he wanted to be surprised."

"I changed my mind." Natsu insisted.

The woman smirked and pulled out her cards. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She stated then started to work her magic.

Everyone nearby crowded closer to hear the gender of the new addition to the Fairy Tail family.

"And it is," Cana pulled out the last card. "A girl," She smiled at her two friends.

Lucy and Levy squealed while Elfman and Gray patted Natsu's shoulders.

"Poor kid, she's going to grow up to be the most protected girl in Fairy Tail." Gray laughed.

Everyone laughed at the ice mage's comment before returning to what they were doing.

Natsu smiled and kissed Lucy's cheek. 'Not long until we get to meet you.'

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Drake frowned as he waited; when he felt his cousin kick he beamed. "She's strong." He proclaimed.

"And she's ready to come join us any day now." Lucy smiled at the boy. All of the children of her friends enjoyed feeling their cousin kick, but Drake was the one out of them all who would ask the most often to feel.

Drake looked at his aunt's stomach. "Hurry up, flame. I want to meet you."

Lucy chuckled and patted the boy's head. "What makes you think she'll be a fire mage?"

"Cause daddy and Uncle Natsu said so." Drake stated simply, "Do you think she'll be a dragon slayer like me, daddy, and uncle?"

Lucy smiled. "If she wants to she can be."

Drake turned back to his aunt's stomach. "Please do, flame. If you're a dragon slayer we can go on missions together and have lots of fun training together."

Lucy giggled at her nephew and kissed his forehead before getting up to head home with her husband.

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He flinched as his wife screamed in pain. Everything was overwhelming to him, the scent of pain and blood mixed with sweat was the worst.

"Natsu Dragneel, don't you dare faint." Lucy panted before squeezing his hand again. He flinched again at the crushing pressure but kept silent. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to what his wife was going through to bring their daughter into this world.

"Almost there, I can see the head." The doctor encouraged. "One more push."

Lucy nodded and pushed, her scream was soon met with a baby's cry.

Natsu glanced toward his daughter as she was passed to a nurse who would clean her up before tucking a lock of Lucy's hair behind her ear. "You did it, Luce."

She smiled and relaxed. When their daughter was brought over the infant was fussy and demanded her milk.

'So demanding over food,' Lucy thought fondly as she brushed the light fuzz that was a strawberry blond on her daughter's head. 'Just like her father.'

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"What should we name her?" Lucy asked her husband hours later when they were settled in a hospital room.

Natsu looked at the sleeping treasure in his arms. She felt warm; her magic reacted to his in a way that felt like an open flame.

"How about Aiden?" He suggested.

"Little fire?" Lucy paused to think for a moment before smiling. "I like it."

Natsu grinned and looked back at his daughter. Aiden was a perfect blend of him and Lucy. Her mother's soft face with his chin and an equal blend of both of their hair colors on one head.

"Ahem," Makarov looked at the small family with a smile. "I hope I came at a good time."

"Come see Aiden, gramps." Natsu smiled at the elderly man and stood to give the guild master his seat.

Makarov smiled at the sleeping babe. Carefully taking the little treasure from her father and cradled her. Aiden yawned and both of her parents froze, thinking that she would wail until she was fed like the two other times she had after waking. Instead, she blinked up at Makarov. Onyx eyes observed him before smiling a toothless smile and reaching for his hat.

"We'll have to keep an eye on this one." Makarov joked and rocked the infant. "She'll have the whole guild wrapped around her little finger in a few years."

Natsu and Lucy laughed with the elderly man.

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When the couple entered the guild hall everyone who hadn't seen the new addition to the family rushed to see the new baby.

"Aw, she's so cute." Levy cooed over the strawberry blond baby. "What did you two name her?"

"Aidan, Aidan Layla Dragneel." Lucy smiled and passed the sleeping bundle to the infant's godmother.

Levy rocked and held her niece for several minutes before letting Makarov hold the new addition to Fairy Tail. As the master cooed and rocked the baby all of the other children of Fairy Tail went to go see their new 'cousin'.

Part way through the welcome home/baby shower Drake walked over to his aunt, uncle, and parents.

"Mommy," His red eyes looked up at his mother and aunt while tugging her skirt. "Do you think I can marry Aiden when she's bigger?"

Everyone in the guild froze before erupting into aws. While all the women were going on about how cute Drake was being Gajeel rushed up to his son in panic. One of the few things he cursed about was how his son's stubborn behavior was just like his.

"Drake, don't you think Iris is better?" He pointed out and Drake looked at Mirajane and Freed's daughter.

The boy shook his head. "She's too scary."

"Aidan's a bit young for you." Gajeel added.

"Only by three years." Levy pointed out and smiled at her son. "Of course you can sweetheart but you have to wait a lot of years before that can happen."

Gajeel groaned, silent uttering 'this can't be happening.'

Natsu glared at the iron mage. "And just what is wrong with my daughter, rivet head?"

"She looks like a freaking pansy." Gajeel huffed, glancing at the pink bundle.

"Well this pansy is going to burn hot enough to melt your iron." Natsu stated.

"My son is not going to marry a freaking pansy." Gajeel argued.

The two dragon slayers went off insulting each other. The whole guild sighed and shook their heads.

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Drake looked at his father and uncle. "Did I say something wrong?"

Levy smiled down at her son and kissed her son's cheek. "Nope, daddy did."

"Oi, Levy, quit coddling him!" Gajeel shouted before dodging a swing from Natsu.

Drake cocked his head. "Daddy fucked up?"

Instantly every person in the guild froze as Levy sat her son down on the bench. Her smiled didn't leave. The woman's teammates ran for cover while several other guild members hid. "Yes, daddy fucked up." Levy looked at the iron mage. "Major fucked up." She stated before rounding on her boyfriend.

"Gajeel, what have I said about language around our son!" She shook a fist at the iron mage who was hanging onto a ceiling beam.

Everyone was laughing at the poor iron mage. The sound woke Aiden and she blinked at all of the people around her. Her light onyx eyes looked straight at Drake.

"Do you want to hold her Drake?" Lucy asked her three and a half year old nephew.

The boy looked up at his aunt. "Can I?"

Lucy nodded. "She's heavy though and you have to be very gentle." She told him and spread a blanket out on the floor next to the carrier.

"Ok," Drake smiled and sat on the floor where her aunt gestured. Once Aiden was in his arms he grinned. "We're going to have lots of adventures when we get bigger, flame." He promised. "So don't team up with anyone else, k?"

Aiden cooed and smiled at the fellow dragon slayer. Her magic fluttering and meeting with his in a way that said, "Ok".

He smiled and bent down to kiss the baby's forehead. "Grow up fast, flame."

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**Probably going to make a few more to this one shot series, maybe three more to make a nice even six. ;) Bet a few of you can figure out what's brewing in my mind for the next two.**


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